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Education

Adult Program Listings

• Adult Programs
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ADULT PROGRAMS

Canoe the Chicago River

Explore the Chicago River with staff members of Shedd and Chicago River Canoe and Kayak. We’ll discuss the plants and animals we may encounter so you’re ready to participate in identification trivia along our trip! Be the first to spot a beaver, fox, or kingfisher and you could be the winner of one of our environmentally friendly prizes!

Date: Aug. 1
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Fee: $40 per person ($30 Shedd members)

To register, please call 312-692-3206 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org. 

Hike and Help Camp Sagawau

Discover a freshwater canyon right outside of Chicago! Spend the morning hiking through the canyon, an area that was once a coral reef. After we break for lunch, help restore this delicate natural resource by participating in a green work project. We’ll help to restore the natural landscape by removing invasive plant species or planting native ones!

Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.

Aquatic Profiles: Adventures in Animal Identification

Enhance your next dive experience or adventure in nature by learning how to identify the world around you. Participate in hands-on learning, exhibit excursions, and Shedd staff and animal collections. Gain insight into the natural world with practical, easy-to-use information! Classes takes place at Shedd Aquarium on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Fees: $32 ($24 Shedd member) per class
Discover what animals are active at night and what defenses others use to avoid them.

Join our e-mail list to hear about upcoming programs.

Each dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Space is limited and will be offered by advance registration only. Each program includes appetizers, wine, dinner, dessert, a chat with a Shedd expert and a goodie bag.

Each dinner costs $75 a person, $65 for Shedd members.

2009 dinner dates and locations:

Special thanks to the Plitt Seafood Company for their seafood donations for each Right Bite dinner.

To register, please call 312-692-3123.

Professional Training Seminars

Learn from our experts in the fields of animal training and environmental quality. With more than 32,600 animals-including fish, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals, Shedd Aquarium offers an extraordinary working environment for these one-of-a-kind professional development opportunities.

Environmental Quality Seminar with Allen LaPointe

This intensive five-day seminar offers environmental quality professionals direct access to Shedd Aquarium’s state-of-the-art water-quality analysis laboratory, life-support systems and environmental quality experts. Each day of the seminar is filled with engaging in-class presentations and hands-on experiments in Shedd’s lab. The seminar also includes tours of Shedd’s life-support infrastructure for exhibits and rare access to back-of-house operations.

Animal Training Seminar with Ken Ramirez  -  SOLD OUT

This five-day seminar offers zoo and aquarium professionals in-depth animal training at Shedd Aquarium, with unique access to Shedd’s diverse animal collection. Participants will experience our unique training techniques and how to adapt them to any species, from marine mammals and a host of terrestrial exotic species to pet dogs and cats.

DATES:
Each training session runs from Aug. 24 through Aug. 28, 2009.

FEES:
Early registration fees- before June 15, 2009: $1275
Regular fees: $1500

Please click here for a copy of the Professional Training Seminar brochure. For more information or to register contact adults@sheddaquarium.org or call 312.692.3351.

COLLEGE PROGRAMS

On-Site Courses

Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA)

This consortium is made up of the following schools: Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University, Dominican University, Elmhurst College, Judson College, Lewis University, North Central College, North Park University, Olivet Nazarene University, St. Xavier University, Trinity Christian College, Trinity International University, University of St. Francis and Wheaton College. You must be registered as a student of one of these schools to participate in this program. 

ACCA Schools in conjunction with Shedd Aquarium will sponsor a 3-credit course to investigate the diverse world of marine mammals. The course will cover marine mammal classifications, distribution, feeding habits, physiology, anatomy and reproduction. Observe animals at Shedd to understand natural behaviors and become familiar with enrichment tools and training techniques used in at the aquarium as well as at other institutions. Conduct an ethogram project to further investigate the behaviors of marine mammals and to increase your research skills.

• Course sessions: Saturdays, Sept. 12, 19, and 26;
  Oct. 3, 10 and 17
  Times: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  Location: Courses held at Shedd Aquarium
• Registration fees — College Tuition: Please see college registrar for current tuition rates.

(Sold-Out) Sorry, we are no longer accepting students, classes are full.

For more course information, please contact the Adult Programs Coordinator at Shedd Aquarium at 312-692-3351 or e-mail adults@sheddaquarium.org.

Sail, canoe, camp, hike and fish with Shedd this summer. Be sure to check out programs for families and teens.